By: Seliger  S.B. No. 398
         (In the Senate - Filed January 5, 2009; February 17, 2009,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
  March 16, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 4; March 16, 2009,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 398 By:  Williams
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to professional staff salaries paid by school districts
  that establish a local minimum hiring schedule.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 21.4021 to read as follows:
         Sec. 21.4021.  SALARIES IN DISTRICTS ESTABLISHING LOCAL
  MINIMUM HIRING SCHEDULE. (a)  This section applies only to a
  school district that establishes a local minimum hiring schedule
  that prescribes the minimum salary, based on the employee's level
  of experience, that the district will pay a new employee, without
  prescribing a minimum salary applicable to subsequent years of that
  employee's employment with the district.
         (b)  A school district to which this section applies that
  pays each classroom teacher, full-time librarian, full-time
  counselor certified under Subchapter B, or full-time nurse a
  greater amount than the minimum monthly salary to which the
  employee is entitled under Section 21.402 is not required by this
  code to provide annual pay increases based on the employee's level
  of experience.
         (c)  If the minimum salaries prescribed by Section 21.402 are
  increased and the state provides additional funding for the amount
  of that increase, a school district to which this section applies is
  not required to pay an employee more than the sum of the additional
  funding per employee provided by the state and the employee's
  salary for the school year immediately preceding the school year
  for which the additional state funding is provided.
         (d)  To the extent of any conflict between Section 21.402 and
  this section, Section 21.402 prevails.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010
  school year.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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